History Main / PentUpPowerPeril

* In ''ComicBook/CloakAndDagger'', this is Dagger's problem: if she doesn't let the ever-increasing light energy inside her out regularly, it'll overclock her body and exhaust her to death. Fortunately Cloak is also always hungry for energy, so she can throw out all that energy to him.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Finder}}'', Jaeger has a HealingFactor that is so powerful that he develops dangerous auto-immune conditions if he doesn't periodically SelfHarm, or [[BloodKnight provoke other people]] into hurting him.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Lucifer}}'', the Basanos, a malevolent living tarot deck, [[SmiteMeOMightySmiter provokes the title character into smiting them]]. What Lucifer doesn't know is that their co-conspirator, the Shinto underworld queen Izanami, has woven feathers into his wings [[RestrainingBolt designed to trap his power within his body when he prepares to use it]]. As a result, within seconds of powering up, he bursts into flames.
* ''Franchise/XMen'':

* In ''LightNovel/AscendanceOfABookworm'', this is the how The Devouring kills its hosts. Someone afflicted with this illness (like Myne) generates more {{Mana}} than he or she can release on his or her own. Once said mana overloads, it ''literally eats its host's own soul from within'' (hence the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast foreboding name]]) as shown in Chapter/Episode 1 where the original Myne dies just as [[ReincarnateInAnotherWorld Urano's soul unwittingly takes over the body before it becomes a corpse]]. The severe symptoms include constant fevers, lethargy, hypersensitivity to harsh weather, and an [[BrightIsNotGood ominously yellow aura]] with [[EyeColourChange glowing rainbow irises]] in times of stress and despair. In fact, children with this illness [[YourDaysAreNumbered are not expected to live beyond seven years old]].
** Another sufferer, [[spoiler:Frieda]], explains to Myne that it is possible to control the overloads so that they don't become lethal. However, this is largely unsustainable since the magical items needed to siphon the excess mana are rare, prohibitively expensive, and [[ItOnlyWorksOnce each works only once before breaking into little more than crumbs and powder]].

* Red Star of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' builds up large amounts of radiation as a side-effect of his empowering and has to live isolated in a compound while releasing and containing the buildup in barrels. Problems arise when he realizes that his radiation containers have [[LeakingCanOfEvil leaked]], creating a NuclearNasty.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar2018'': PlayedWith. This turns out to be the reason behind Atreus's [[IllBoy lifelong sickness]]: Kratos's misguided efforts to keep his godhood a secret is basically causing his true nature to eat away at him from the inside. [[spoiler:It reaches a head when, in a moment of extreme rage, Atreus activates [[SuperMode Spartan Rage]] and the backlash nearly kills him. Once the truth comes out, Atreus's illness never appears again, even if he's not actively using any divine powers.]]

* In ''Anime/StreetFighterIIV'', this is how Ryu first performed the [[KamehameHadoken Hadōken]]. He had such a buildup of [[KiManipulation ki]] that he had to get rid of it, so he did it by focusing it into a blast and firing it off.
* Musshuru from ''Anime/OnePiece'' 9th movie has the power of Shroom-Shroom Fruit, making him able to shoot poisonous spores. Said spores build up in his body if he doesn't release it, and he has to release it in large amounts every 10 years.
* In an early episode of ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', Ichigo goes up against a Menos Grande. He realizes that if he keeps his constantly overflowing spiritual pressure contained for a few moments, he'll be able to release a burst of energy all at once. He does force the Menos Grande to retreat using this method, but the energy released is too much for him, and Uryu has to absorb some of his power and fire his spirit energy bow until the excess energy dissipates.
* Manga/{{Karin}} is a semi-mundane example. She's a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent reverse vampire]], which means that she injects people with extra blood rather than drink it. If she doesn't do so at least [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything once a month]], she can suffer potentially fatal nosebleeds.

* ''Anime/{{Promare}}'': Burnish are pyrokinetic mutants who need to set things on fire or their flames release themselves in uncontrollable bursts. Supressing their urges also threatens their already fragile mental stability. On the other hand, releasing too much of their energy at once causes them to turn into ashes.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Finder}}'', Jaeger has a HealingFactor that is so powerful that he develops dangerous auto-immune conditions if he doesn't periodically SelfHarm, or [[BloodKnight provoke other people]] into hurting him.

* ''Fanfic/CheshireMiraculousLadybug'': As the Black Cat Holder, Marinette have ''Catastrophe'', her own version of the [[WorldHealingWave Miraculous Cure]]. The catch is that '''must''' release it soon after she purifies an Akuma with Cataclysm, or she will suffer great pain and exhaustion.

* Literature/CiaphasCain once encountered a hydroelectric dam that, owing the the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent ork]] invasion, had been running for days with no one drawing the power it produced, and now had dangerously overloaded capacitor banks on the verge of [[ExplosiveOverclocking explosive failure]]. This [[GiantWallOfWateryDoom comes in handy later]] when the pursuing ork army catches up to him.

* Subverted in ''{{Literature/Matilda}}'', where Matilda's telekinesis was the result of her brain having nothing to work on. When she's placed at a higher grade level, her powers disappear (she keeps them in [[TheFilmOfTheBook the movie]]).
* In ''Literature/TheGrishaTrilogy'', Alina was constantly sickly growing up due to subconsciously suppressing her powers. Once she starts using them regularly, her health improves greatly.
* In the ''Literature/{{Chalion}}'' series, sorcerers need to vent the chaos from their demons. Just basic existence requires distributing a bit of chaos, typically dealt with by killing vermin of various sorts, which can be problematic if staying in one place too long. (Bedbugs in a given building are a finite resource.) Doing significant magic -- especially 'uphill' magic that decreases chaos, such as healing -- may require more significant amounts of chaos to be shed.
* In the ''Magic or Madness'' series, people who have magic need to use at least small amounts every so often. If they don't, they'll go insane (which happens to the protagonist's mother), but if they ''[[MortonsFork do]]'', [[CastFromLifeSpan they'll die young]].
* When Sonea's powers are first awakened in ''Literature/TheBlackMagicianTrilogy'', she tries to hide from the Magicians' Guild and seeks out the protection of those who hope to make use of an independent mage. However, lacking the necessary training, her magic builds up until she starts losing control of it, destroying the things around her whenever she gets emotional and coming close to overloading and killing herself. [[spoiler: When the Guild finally finds her, the first thing they do is walk her through safely dumping the excess power, with unfortunate effects on her environment, before she can start learning to control it properly.]]

* If a Warlock in ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor'' lets their "Arcane Capacitor" skill go on for too long, eventually it explodes like a nuclear bomb, killing them and everything nearby.
* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar2018'': PlayedWith. This turns out to be the reason behind Atreus's [[IllBoy lifelong sickness]]: Kratos's misguided efforts to keep his godhood a secret is basically causing his true nature to eat away at him from the inside. [[spoiler: It reaches a head when, in a moment of extreme rage, Atreus activates [[SuperMode Spartan Rage]] and the backlash nearly kills him. Once the truth comes out, Atreus's illness never appears again, even if he's not actively using any divine powers.]]

* One of the heroines in ''VisualNovel/{{Shuffle}}'' resents her inhuman nature to the point she refuses to use the magic that comes with it and the magic buildup takes a heavy toll on her health. Out of desperation for his lover, protagonist literally cuts his wrists in front of her, thus forcing her to spend her magic on healing him.

* In the ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' arc "Sister II", a major plot point is the fact that [[spoiler: Elliot and Ellen]] "awaken", a process after which their magical powers will be more powerful and developed. One side effect of this is that during the process, magic must be routinely utilized, otherwise it will build up and be used involuntarily.

* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' discovers he has a similar problem when he develops [[AnIcePerson his freeze ray]]. If he doesn't use it, he freezes over and so does everything he comes in contact with.
* Red Star of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' builds up large amounts of radiation as a side-effect of his empowering and has to live isolated in a compound while releasing and containing the buildup in barrels. Problems arise when he realizes that his radiation containers have [[LeakingCanOfEvil leaked]], creating a NuclearNasty.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': One of Kenny's many deaths was by SpontaneousHumanCombustion. It is discovered that the reason for him combusting was he had a new girlfriend so he was holding in his farts. The methane gas built up inside him and he exploded.

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'': Roger is a downplayed example. His race has to let out their bitchiness often, otherwise it turns into bile and poisons them.